Growing Fashion Revolution into a Global Movement by Inviting Everybody to Participate

How did Fashion Revolution, which has become a global movement, get started and grow to have the impact and reach it has today? What does it mean for us that people express interest in buying less and buying better, but often aren't doing so because of things like price, convenience, and style options? On this episode, Fashion Revolution's Co-Founder and Creative Director, Orsola de Castro, shares her wisdom with you. Let's dive in.

This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer oniTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights

[02:45] What got Orsola de Castro into sustainable fashion.

[06:05] How Fashion Revolution as an organization got started.

[08:30] One of the greatest challenges the team faced when growing the movement.

[09:15] Orsola: "We all have a different vision of Fashion Revolution, and yet we all mattered."

[10:15] Orsola: "It's 100% of the population that wears clothes, and 100% of the population is our audience."

[10:35] Orsola: "We kind of assumed #WhoMadeMyClothes would be a relatively easy question to answer, and yet no one could answer it at all. We realized there was a massive disconnection."

[10:35] Why being bold but inclusive, while avoiding negative protesting, victimizing, naming and shaming, has been so important to Fashion Revolution.

[13:25] Orsola: "In the naming and shaming, there's often a lot of doom and gloom, which can make people feel apathetic. We wanted people to be a part of the solution. Every single one of our wardrobes are in the fashion supply chain somewhere. Therefore, every morning when you choose the clothes you wear, you can be a part of that change."

[14:00] How Fashion Revolution fosters inclusivity.

[16:50] Orsola: "You don't have to have an interest in fashion to understand there's a massive impact in the clothes that we wear."

[17:55] Orsola: You can't predict what somebody will be interested in. It could be about the polar bear, the fish, the animals, the people, environment, chemicals, waste. But we need to understand the industry as a whole has a massive impact on our lives. And that we also have a massive impact in that we can change it."

[19:05] Kaméa: "An article said millennials do have the heart to make more sustainable purchases, but often aren't doing so because of things like price, convenience, style options. What are your thoughts on that?"

[22:40] Kaméa: "How has Fashion Revolution been so successful at inspiring action, beyond just awareness?"

[24:35] A key decision Orsola has made as the Creative Director that's helped to elevate Fashion Revolution.

[26:00] Orsola's highest hopes for Fashion Revolution.

Episode Sponsor: Kanekta

Kanekta is a digital sourcing platform connecting ethical brands and suppliers to retail buyers across the globe. Click here to learn more.